Unbalanced schedule could aid Tigers' chase

DETROIT -- It wasn't long ago that the Tigers would have been seeing the last of the Minnesota Twins at home for the season in today's game.

In the days of the balanced schedule, teams visited each other only twice a year, playing 12 or 13 games against everyone in the league. This is the Twins' second visit this season.

Count Jim Leyland as a proponent of the current, unbalanced schedule.

The Tigers will still have 10 games against Minnesota after today because they now play everyone in the AL Central 18 times. The unbalanced schedule was implemented in 2001, partly to build regional rivalries.

"I think it's good when you're playing in your own division," Leyland said before Saturday night's game. "It usually means that if you get rolling in your division, you have a shot (at the postseason).

"We just haven't played well in our division so far."

Which brings us to another benefit of playing 72 games a year against the same four opponents. The Tigers were 4-16 in the Central and 6 1/2 games out of first place going into Saturday night.

"You still have a chance to make some of that up when you play so many games against each other," Leyland said.

Detroit will head west after today's game but will have Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox in a seven-game homestand when it returns June 6.

Workout
Leyland survived the first night of jogging out to the mound during Friday's game. He and pitching coach Chuck Hernandez both hustled out for conferences or pitching changes in compliance with baseball's new move to speed the pace of play.

First pitch
The Tigers are batting .430 (83-for-193) when putting the first pitch in play, tops in the American League. Marcus Thames is fourth in the league at .571 and Miguel Cabrera 12th at .519 in that obscure category.

Hot at home
Magglio Ordonez had two hits in Friday's game, making him 129-for-325 (.397) at Comerica Park in 86 games going back to May 10, 2007.

Odds & ends
Gary Sheffield's home run Friday night gave the Tigers homers in seven of their last eight games. ... Joe Mauer's 2-for-4 Friday moved the Twins catcher into the AL batting lead at .338. ... The Twins lead the majors with 16 bunt base hits this season. ... The Tigers' May 11 rainout against the New York Yankees will be made up at 1:05 p.m. Sept. 1 at Comerica Park.